Tuesday 17 May 2016

8 Quirks You Might Have That Are Actually Super Rare

Tickling Yourself


Unfortunately, if you've been reading this thinking, "but I can definitely tickle myself", you might want to get yourself analysed, as scientists think that it could be an indicator of schizophrenia.Something to do with the schizophrenic brain makes the person less able to differentiate between external and self-produced movements, making it possible for them to tickle themselves.

8 Quirks You Might Have That Are Actually Super Rare

Supertasters


A supertaster is someone who, oddly enough, tastes things with much more intensity than others. Women are more likely to be supertasters, as are those from Asia, South America and Africa and it is estimated that around 25% of people fall into this category.Although it's not totally clear what causes it, scientists reckon its related to the presence of the TAS2R38 gene and an increased number of tastebuds.

8 Quirks You Might Have That Are Actually Super Rare



Synaesthesia



Synaesthesia is basically a mix-up of the senses. Most commonly, people will experience things like words, numbers, days of the week and even musical notes as having different colours or shapes. Other variations might mix up sound and taste, smell and touch or any other sensory combinations.

8 Quirks You Might Have That Are Actually Super Rare



Vestigial Gills



Fossil records show that the human ear developed from the same structures that give fish gills. For most people, the only evidence of this are the tiny bones that reside inside you lug holes, but some of us could carry even further clues to our fishy heritage.

8 Quirks You Might Have That Are Actually Super Rare

Ear Wiggling


Ear wiggling is a vestigial trait, left over from when our evolutionary ancestors were able to swivel their ears to pinpoint sounds - much like modern dogs and cats do. It's controlled by the auriculares muscles, but it's not entirely clear why some people can do it and some people can't (to be fair, ear wiggling is not high up many researchers' lists of priorities).

8 Quirks You Might Have That Are Actually Super Rare

Palmaris Longus


The palmaris longus is a vestigial tendon in the forearm. Its purpose varies in the animal kingdom, some use it to draw back their claws, others, such as orangutans, use it when swinging through trees. In humans, it does precisely nothing. This makes it a popular candidate in reconstructive surgery, as it can be removed with no ill-effects.


8 Quirks You Might Have That Are Actually Super Rare

Super Recognisers 


Around 1-2% of people are thought to have the power to retain faces to an almost spooky degree. The phenomenon was known as far back as Roman times, and even modern police forces are beginning to recognise the skills that these people have to offer. The Metropolitan Police reportedly used the super recognisers to trawl CCTV footage of rioters in order to make arrests.